Source: The Wellness Hub - Walmart.com
Walmart Wellness Live, a three-day online health and wellness event, will kick off on Friday with the goal of providing customers with simple ways to improve their lives through better nutrition, exercise and mental health activities.
The first event will feature singer Patti LaBelle, who will talk about her personal journey through diagnosis and treatment of type 2 diabetes, a chronic disease that affects more than three million Americans, based on numbers from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. While the disorder most frequently affects people over 45, there have been growing incidences among children, teens and young adults along with a surge in obesity among the U.S. population.
Dr. Juan Rivera, a cardiologist and chief medical correspondent for Univision, will share information on heart health resources on Saturday along with recommendations for diet and exercise to lower blood pressure, a key contributor to coronary disease.
Dr. Christine Crawford, assistant professor of psychiatry at the Boston University School of Medicine, will be on hand on Sunday to advise viewers on how to talk to family members about mental health needs, particularly at a time when so many Americans are dealing with anxiety and stress related to the pandemic. She will discuss how to understand and deal with anxiety-related behaviors.
“We are worried about a secondary health crisis, as many people put off routine medical care while they social distance during the pandemic. But there are simple, preventive measures that can help manage many of these health issues,” Dr. Tom Van Gilder, Walmart chief medical officer, said in a statement. “Our goal is to empower every American to take small steps to maximize their health from home, whether it’s a simple ingredient swap, new exercise or tools to understand how to focus on health as a family.”
Walmart introduces its program at a time when new research from Label Insight and FMI shows that omnichannel grocery shoppers are making purchases with a diet or health issue in mind.
Sixty-seven percent of online grocery shoppers “place a high level of importance on the health benefits of products,” according to the survey of 1,000 consumers. Fifty-three percent, however, say it is challenging or extremely challenging to determine online whether a product meets their dietary goals.